Valve actuating lever



Sept. 15, 1942. H. E. PLL-:AsAm' ETAL 2,295,686 v VALVE AcTUvATING LEVER Filed Nov. 21, 1-941 Patented Sept. `15, 1942 UNITEDy STATES PATENT v.OFFICE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER u Herman E. Pleasant, Grand Rapids, and Fred M. Keller, Holland, Mich., assignors to Crampton Manufacturing Company, Holland, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 21, 1941, Serial No. 419,930

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to valve actu-y use; to provide such an assemblywhich may be v readily and conveniently aiiixed on the wall of a fushing tank; and, to provide such an assembly which may be economically manufactured.

Illustrative embodimentsof the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational view of a flushing tank, partly broken away and showing a conventional ball valve device operatively connected with its actuating lever assembly; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View thereof on line 2--2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is ,'a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2; A

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 ofv Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the handle of the assembly; and

Figure 6 isa bottom plan view thereof.

Referring then to the drawing wherein like Y parts of the assembly shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views, a flushing tank I of well known character having an outlet port Il, is provided with an overiiow pipe I2 connected with the outlet port below the valve seat I3, all as best shown in Figure 1.

A ball valve I4 disposed upon its seat I3 as shown in full lines in Figure l is elevated therefrom to its position shown in dotted lines in the same view when the tank is flushed by means 'of the actuating lever I5 through a pair of articulated links I6, Il, the upper of which is pivotally connected to one end of the actuating lever I and the lower of which is rigidly secured to the ball valve I4, which lower link I7 is vertically slidably embraced within aligned vertical apertures in the iingers I8 of the bifurcated bracket I9 secured to the overflow pipe I2 in a lateral disposition relative thereto.

'I'he front wall of the flushing tank III is provided with an opening 20 therethrough, preferably squared or otherwise non-circular in character, and a tubular iixture 2| projected through the opening 20 of the tank and having a flanged 55 head 22 provided with a laterally disposed lug 23 has a threaded shank 24 and an intermediate .squared or otherwise ,non-circular portion 25 embraced within the squared or otherwise noncircular opening 20 of the tank.

A nut 26 threaded on the shank 24 of the fixture 2| is preferably employed to secure the fixture in its assembled relation with the wall of the flushing tank I0.

The actuating lever I5 has a laterally turned tubular portion 21 whose forward end is provided with a notch 28 which tubular portion is projected through the tubular fixture 2I beyond its ilanged head 22, all as best shown in Figure 2. A handle 29 is provided with a laterally turned head 30 having a chambered recess 3I therein within which recess is a centrally disposed spindle 32, circular in cross section, which spindle has a lug 33 adjacent the iloor of the chambered recess 3I (Figs. 5 and 6) adapted to engage the notch 28 of the laterally turned tubular portion 21 of the actuating lever I5 when the spindle 32 is inserted axially within the tubular portion `21 of the actuating lever. l

The inner surface of the wall of the head 30 -of the handle 29 is provided with a radial web 34 forming a seat for the flanged head 22 of the xture 2| when thus assembled and a notch 35 in said wall of slightly greater width than the width of the lug 23 on the flanged head 22 of the iixture 2I provides a stop for limiting the rotative movement of the handle 29 and its actuating lever I5 relative to the fixture 2i.

In the assembly of the device in operative position with respect to the ushing tank and as shown in Figure l, the threaded shank 24 of the tubular fixture 2I is inserted within the squared or otherwise non-circular opening 20 through the wall of the tank Ill with the squared or otherwise non-circular portion 25 of the xture 2I embraced by the squared or otherwise non-circular wall of the opening of the tank whereupon the nut 26 is threaded on the threaded shank 24 of the xture and drawn up tight against the .inner wall of the tank (Fig. 2).

The laterally turned tubular portion 21 of the actuating lever I5 is then projected through the tubular fixture 2| from inside the tank and the other end of the actuating lever is thereupon pivotally connected to the upper link I6 of the pair of articulated links (Figs. 1 and 2).

The spindle 432 of the handle 29 is next projected into the laterally turned tubular portion 21 of the actuating lever I5 with the lug 33 on the spindle 32 in engagement with the notch 28 of the tubular portion 21 oi.' the actuating lever i and with the lug 23 of ilanged head 22 of the fixture 2| disposed within the notch il! in the wall of the chambered head 30 of the handle 28.

`the actuating lever Il is upset into the annular groove 3l oi' the spindle I2 to prevent axial separation of the handle 29 from the actuating lever It (Fig. 2).

Since the handle 29 and actuating lever" l5 cannot be axially separated and since the lug. of the spindle is tightly embraced within the notch 28 of the tubular portion 2| of the actuating lever I5 preventing turning or the handle relative to the tubular end o! the actuating lever, it will be seen that tilting o1 the handle from its :position shown in lull; lines in Figure 1 to its positionshown in dotted lines in the same view for lifting the ball valve .il from its seat I3 and resulting in the ilushing od the tank, is limited in its tilting movement by the lug 23 of the iixture .within the notch 35 of the chambered head of the handle.

It will thus be seen that the valve actuating lever assembly herein shown and described is comprised of but few parts, that the assembly is simple yet sturdy in construction, that the same is compact and eiiicient in use, that the same may be readily and conveniently affixed on the 'wall of the tank. and that the assembly is economical in manufacture since the ixture and handle may be die cast.

Although but one speciiic embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described. it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing trom the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. lin a device of the class described. a tubular iixture adapted to be iixedly secured through the wall of a tank, said fixture having a iianged head provided with a laterally projecting lug; a handle having a chambered head rotatable on the iianged head of the iixture, said chambered head having a spindle spacediy encircled by the wall thereof which wall is provided with a notch spacedly embracing the 'lug dor limiting the rotative movement of the handle relative to the iixture; an actuating lever having one end thereof projected through the tubular xture into engagement with the spindle; and means for securing 'the lever and spindle together.

2'. In a device od the class described, a tubular iixture adapted to be iixedly secured through the wall of a tank, said iixture having a flanged head provided with a laterally projecting lug a handle having a chambered head rotatable on the iianged head ot the iixture. said chambered head having (i) a spindle provided with a laterally disposed lug spacedly encircled by the wall of the chambered head and (2) a notch in said wall spacedly embracing the ilanged head lug for limiting the rotative movement oi the handle relative to the iixture: an actuating lever having a tubular end provided with a notch, said tubular end embracing the spindle with its notch engaging said spindie lug: and means to prevent axial separation of the handle from -the lever.

3. In a device oi' the class described, a tubular iixture adapted to zbe xedly secured through the wail of a tank, said fixture having a iianged head provided with a laterally projecting lug: a handle having a chambered head rotatable on the iianged head of the fixture, said chambered headl having (i) a spindle provided with a laterally disposed lug spacedly encircled by the wall of the chambered head, (2) a radial `web disposed inwardly of the wall o! the chambered head forming a seat for the flanged head or the fixture and (3) a notch in the wall of the chambered head spacedly embracing the flanged head lug for limiting the rotative movement of the handle relative to the fixture; an actuating lever having a tubular end provided with a notch, said tubular end embracing the spindle with its notch engaging said spindle lug; and means to prevent axial separation of the handle from the lever.

4. In a device of the class described, a tubular fixture adapted to be xedly secured through a wall of a tank, said iixture having a iianged head provided with a laterally projecting lug a handle having a chambered head rotatable on the ilanged head oi the iixture, said chambered head having (1) a spindle provided with an annular groove therein and having a laterally disposed lug spacedly encircled by the wall of the chambered provided with a notch, said tubular end embracing the spindle with its notch engaging said spindie lug; and means to prevent axial separation of the handle from the lever comprising an upset of a portion of the tubular end of the lever into the annular groove of the spindle.

HERMAN E. PLEASANT.

FRED M. mLLER. 

